Are you looking for a way to save money in a hurry? Saving money on food, in particular groceries, is a great first start. Here are some great tips to cut that grocery bill down and save money.
- Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry. This is the simplest tip and yet one of the hardest. It’s natural to want to buy food when you’re hungry, but that’s the problem. If you shop while hungry, you’ll blow your budget easily and end up with foods that you wouldn’t have bought otherwise. Snack food in particular is hard to avoid if you’re shopping while hungry, and snack food is generally more expensive.
- Make a list and stick to it. If you keep a list throughout the week, you’ll be prepared for your grocery shopping when you go. Better yet, make a list after you skim through the weekly ads, and plan your list on sale items as well as necessities.
- Go shopping once a week. By shopping once a week, you’ll cut down on the little stops that really add up. Every time you go to the grocery store, you’ll buy something else that you probably didn’t need, but it can help justify your trip. Constant trips to the grocery store really add up and can blow through your grocery budget in a hurry.
- Buy in bulk. Purchasing your groceries in bulk adds even more savings and convenience. No more running out of rice every other week; a large bag of rice can see you through several months easily. Not to mention, buying in bulk is more expensive up front, but the savings is far better than buying in smaller quantities.
- Keep your meals simple. This is a good rule of thumb anyhow, but keeping your meals simple allows for cheaper meals. Classics like chicken, rice, and green beans can be cooked a variety of different ways and those base ingredients are quite cheap. Mix it up by using different spices or methods of cooking and you have a different meal each time! Additionally, most spices are not very expensive and are a great way to (pardon the pun) spice up any meal.
- Buy whole foods. No, not the grocery store. Buy fresh or frozen produce. Avoid buying prepared mashed potatoes, and instead buy fresh potatoes. Skip the cream of mushroom soup cans and make your own. Remember that roast chicken? Use the leftovers and make your own chicken broth for soup. Save your odds and ends of vegetables for vegetable broth for soups, sauces, or casseroles. Not only do the freshly made whole foods taste better than their processed counterparts, but you’re able to control seasons to your taste buds. You always know exactly what was in that chicken broth you made from scratch.
- Buy for your cupboard. Keeping a store cupboard is helpful if you need to change up your menu or if you can’t get to your weekly shop on the usual day. Having beans, rice, lentils, and more stored up in your store cupboard helps you save money and have extra for when you need it.
Saving money on groceries seems daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. By being careful when and how you shop, being prepared, and buying what you need and eat, you can begin to save money for your future.
